Heirloom Lettuce, Sweet Pea and Asparagus Pasta

Sunday nights in late spring are the perfect occasion to make a deliciously light bowl of pasta and enjoy a glass of wine on the balcony in the warm night air before the cold reality of Monday settles in and ruins what’s left of my weekend buzz.

Unfortunately the weather didn’t hold long enough for my plan to materialize today, but it was what drove me to hunt through my back issues of Bon Appétit to find this recipe. The texture of this pasta is brilliant. Once tossed in the pan with the warm ingredients, the lettuce takes on a velvety texture and in combination with the sweetness of the peas, crispness of the asparagus and heat of the sausage creates a nearly perfect bite. Add the previously mentioned glass of wine and a fresh playlist of summer jams like Drake’s “Find Your Love” and your evening is set, balcony or no.

Heirloom Lettuce, Sweet Pea and Asparagus Pasta

adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2009
Prep time: 15 minutes / Active time: 15 minutes / Serves: 2

For the pasta:

1 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Stick
1 tbsp olive oil
1 spicy Italian vegan sausage, in 1/4″ dice
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced into discs
small pinch of red chili flakes
2 shallots, cut into fine wedges
12-14 stalks asparagus, cut into 2-3 inch lengths
1 cup freshly shelled or frozen peas
8-10 green onions, white and pale parts only and cut into 1/4″ slices
1/4 cup white wine
2 servings of medium shell or tube pasta
1 tbsp vegetable stock paste or powder
2 cups heirloom/butter/boston lettuce,torn into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley leafs, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Method:
1. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, bring Earth Balance and olive oil up to temperature. Add sausage and saute until crispy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towel and set aside.
2. In same saute pan, add chilies, garlic and toast until golden.
3. In a medium sauce pan bring water to a boil with vegetable stock. Add pasta and cook as per instructions on package until el dente. 3-4 minutes before the pasta is done, add asparagus and cook until both are tender. Drain and add pasta and asparagus directly to the saute pan.
4. Add shallots and green onions to the saute pan and cook until translucent. Add white wine, peas and return sausage to pan.
5. Once pasta and asparagus are ready, add them to the saute pan with lettuce, parsley, lemon juice, zest and toss until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.